Cambridge streets left empty as students boycott nightclubs

Last night (27/10) Cambridge streets and nightclubs were left empty as students boycotted nightclubs as a result of the ‘Big Night In’ campaign.

As seen in the pictures below, Cambridge nightclubs closed their doors last night in support of the boycott campaign. MASH and Lola Lo’s were closed to customers. Revolution (Revs) only had the bar open, with the dance floors which usually host the Wednesday Rumboogie night, shut.

Though the bar at Revolution remained open, it closed early at 12 pm. Other bars in town, such as Ta Bouche, remained busy throughout the evening.

Usually peak queuing time for Cambridge students on their way to Woo Wednesdays, Propaganda or Rumboogie, the city streets were deserted from 11 to 12 pm.

Downing street outside of Revs was queue-less at 11 pm (Image: Author)

The Tab surveyed 440 students and found that an overwhelming majority of voters were observing the boycott, with 93% taking part. One student cited their reason for boycotting was because there wasn’t “sufficient safeguarding in Cambridge,” whilst another explained their hope that it will “push the nightclubs to take action against the spiking crisis.”

Students who would usually be out at one of the closed venues told us that they were enjoying going to Jack’s Gelato, having a movie night with their friends, or  studying, rather than clubbing.

King’s College femsoc even held an event in the college bar, giving those observing the boycott the chance to hang out in a chilled environment – and one student mentioned that they were handing out resources, such as anti-spiking caps.

This follows the SU’s decision on Monday to support the nightclub safety appeal which addresses Cambridgeshire nightclubs and invites them to “adopt policies to keep students safer on nights out” such as club staff keeping details for college’s to help students return him and making drinks covers freely available. Cambridge SU Women’s Officer, Milo Eyre-Morgan, in a statement released yesterday (27/10) commented:

This news follows a Tab investigation that revealed only one in twenty students feel safe on a night out in Cambridge.